China sends rescue, medical teams for Türkiye quake relief efforts

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – China on Tuesday said it is sending rescue personnel and emergency aid for earthquake relief efforts in Türkiye.

“The Chinese government is providing emergency assistance to Türkiye and Syria with its first batch of 40 million yuan ($5.8 million) emergency aid headed for Türkiye,” Hua Chunying, spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry, said on Twitter.

Beijing is sending “heavy urban search and rescue teams, medical teams, and urgently needed disaster relief supplies,” she added.

At least 3,381 people were killed and 20,426 injured after strong earthquakes hit southern Türkiye on Monday, reducing more than 6,000 buildings to rubble, according to the country’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD).

More than 16,400 rescue personnel remain engaged in search efforts in 10 Turkish provinces.

“China is coordinating urgently needed disaster relief supplies to be shipped to Syria and speeding up the delivery of ongoing food aid programs,” Hua said.

In Syrian areas under opposition control in the country’s northwest, the death toll has exceeded 700, according to the Syrian Civil Defense.

In areas controlled by the Bashar al-Assad regime, at least 403 people have died, the state-run SANA news agency reported.